Pulsebook

Development practices, workflows, and technical architecture guide for Equevu

Sprint Cycle

Overview

We follow a 2-week sprint cycle using Agile/Scrum methodology. This document outlines our sprint process, ceremonies, and best practices.

Sprint Timeline

Week 1

Day	Activity	Time	Duration
Monday	Weekly Check-in	8:30 AM	30 min
Monday	Sprint Kickoff	10:00 AM	30 min
Wednesday	Mid-sprint Check-in	11:00 AM	30 min
Friday	Technical Review	3:00 PM	1 hour
Friday	Weekly Checkout	3:30 PM	30 min
Daily	Stand-up	9:00 AM	15 min

Week 2

Day	Activity	Time	Duration
Monday	Weekly Check-in	8:30 AM	30 min
Monday	Sprint Progress Review	2:00 PM	30 min
Wednesday	Pre-demo Preparation	3:00 PM	1 hour
Thursday	Sprint Review/Demo	2:00 PM	1 hour
Friday	Sprint Retrospective	10:00 AM	1 hour
Friday	Sprint Planning & Backlog Grooming	1:00 PM	3 hours
Friday	Weekly Checkout	3:30 PM	30 min
Daily	Stand-up	9:00 AM	15 min

Sprint Ceremonies

1. Sprint Planning & Backlog Grooming (Combined Session)

Purpose

Refine backlog items, define sprint goals, and commit to deliverables for the upcoming sprint. This combined session ensures the team has a well-groomed backlog before planning the next sprint.

Timing

Every second Friday, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (after Sprint Retrospective)

Participants

Business Analyst
Lead Engineer
Development Team
QA Team
CEO (optional)
Operations Manager (optional)

Agenda

Part 1: Backlog Grooming (90 min)

Review Upcoming Stories (30 min)
- Break down epics into stories
- Add/update acceptance criteria
- QA reviews test scenarios
Story Estimation (30 min)
- Estimate new stories
- Re-estimate changed stories
- Include QA effort in estimates
Prioritization (30 min)
- Reorder backlog based on business value
- Identify dependencies
- Remove obsolete stories

Part 2: Sprint Planning (90 min)

Sprint Goal Setting (20 min)
- Review product roadmap
- Define sprint objectives
- Align with business priorities
Capacity Planning (10 min)
- Account for holidays/PTO
- Consider meetings/ceremonies
- Factor in support duties
Story Selection (40 min)
- Team pulls stories from groomed backlog
- Verify story readiness
- Commit to sprint backlog
Task Breakdown (20 min)
- Break stories into tasks
- Identify technical approach
- QA plans test execution

Output

Groomed backlog for future sprints
Sprint goal documented
Sprint backlog created
Team commitment confirmed
Test approach defined

2. Weekly Check-in

Purpose

Start each week aligned on priorities and upcoming tasks.

Timing

Every Monday at 8:30 AM (30 minutes)

Agenda

Discuss upcoming week’s priorities
Review sprint goals and commitments
Address any upcoming blockers or concerns
Coordinate team schedule for the week
Plan key deliverables and milestones

3. Weekly Checkout

Purpose

Review the previous week’s accomplishments and learnings.

Timing

Every Friday at 3:30 PM (30 minutes)

Agenda

Review previous week’s accomplishments
Discuss what went well and what could be improved
Identify any carryover items
Quick status on completed tasks
Celebrate wins and acknowledge challenges

4. Daily Stand-up

Format

Each team member answers:

What did I complete yesterday?
What will I work on today?
Are there any blockers?

Rules

Timebox to 15 minutes
Stand up (if in person)
No problem-solving during stand-up
Park detailed discussions for after
Update ticket status before stand-up

Remote Stand-up Tips

Camera on for engagement
Use round-robin order
Share screen for board review
Post updates in Teams if unable to attend

5. Sprint Review/Demo

Purpose

Demonstrate completed work and gather feedback.

Structure

Sprint Summary (5 min)
- Sprint goals recap
- Metrics overview
- Completion status
Demonstrations (40 min)
- Live demos of completed features
- Show working software only
- Focus on business value
- BA presents context for each feature
Feedback & Discussion (15 min)
- CEO and Operations Manager feedback
- Questions and clarifications
- Next steps identification

Demo Best Practices

Prepare demo environment in advance
Have backup recordings ready
Focus on business value, not technical details
Assign demo presenters during planning
Practice demos beforehand

6. Sprint Retrospective

Purpose

Continuous improvement through team reflection.

Format Options

Start, Stop, Continue

Start: What should we start doing?
Stop: What should we stop doing?
Continue: What’s working well?

Process

Set the stage (5 min)
Gather data (20 min)
Generate insights (15 min)
Decide actions (15 min)
Close retrospective (5 min)

Action Items

Limit to 2-3 actionable improvements
Assign owners to each action
Review previous sprint’s actions
Track in sprint backlog

7. Sprint Kickoff

Purpose

Align the team on sprint goals and kick off the new sprint with energy and clarity.

Timing

Monday morning of Week 1 (10:00 AM, 30 minutes)

Activities

Review sprint goals
Confirm sprint backlog
Address any questions from Friday’s planning
Set expectations for the sprint
Motivate team for the upcoming sprint

Participants

Business Analyst
Lead Engineer
Development Team
QA Team
CEO (optional)
Operations Manager (optional)

Story Readiness Checklist

During the combined Planning & Grooming session, ensure stories meet these criteria:

Story Point Estimation

Fibonacci Scale

We use Fibonacci numbers: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21

Reference Stories

Points	Reference	Complexity
1	Simple text change	Trivial
2	Basic CRUD operation	Simple
3	Standard feature	Moderate
5	Complex feature	Significant
8	Multiple integrations	Complex
13	Architectural change	Very Complex
21	Epic - needs breakdown	Too Large

Estimation Techniques

Planning Poker

Present story
Discuss briefly
Everyone selects card
Reveal simultaneously
Discuss outliers
Re-estimate if needed

T-Shirt Sizing

XS: 1 point
S: 2-3 points
M: 5 points
L: 8 points
XL: 13 points
XXL: Break it down

Sprint Metrics

Velocity

Average story points completed per sprint
Track trend over last 6 sprints
Use for capacity planning

Burndown Chart

Daily tracking of remaining work
Identify sprint risks early
Adjust scope if needed

Sprint Goals Achievement

Percentage of sprint goals met
Track over time
Identify patterns

Quality Metrics

Bugs found in sprint
Bugs escaped to production
Test coverage
Code review turnaround

Definition of Done (DoD)

Code Complete

Testing Complete

Ready for Production

Sprint Roles

Lead Engineer

Provides technical leadership and guidance
Reviews and approves technical design decisions
Ensures code quality and architectural standards
Mentors development team members
Resolves complex technical blockers
Participates in sprint planning and estimation
Conducts code reviews for critical components
Coordinates with BA on technical feasibility
Ensures technical debt is managed appropriately
Makes final technical decisions when consensus cannot be reached
Facilitates sprint ceremonies
Tracks sprint metrics

Business Analyst (BA)

Maintains product backlog
Gathers and documents requirements
Defines acceptance criteria
Clarifies business logic
Bridges gap between stakeholders and development
Prioritizes work with CEO and Operations Manager
Validates completed stories meet requirements
Removes blockers when possible

Development Team

Estimates stories
Commits to sprint work
Self-organizes work
Delivers increment
Participates in ceremonies
Raises blockers and dependencies

QA Team

Reviews acceptance criteria
Creates test plans and test cases
Performs manual and automated testing
Reports and tracks bugs
Validates stories meet Definition of Done
Participates in estimation
Provides quality metrics

Stakeholders

CEO

Provides strategic direction
Approves major features and priorities
Reviews sprint demos
Makes final decisions on scope changes

Operations Manager

Provides operational requirements
Reviews business process impacts
Validates operational feasibility
Participates in sprint reviews

Sprint Anti-patterns

To Avoid

❌ Changing sprint scope mid-sprint
❌ Skipping ceremonies
❌ Not updating tickets daily
❌ Working on non-sprint items
❌ Carrying over unfinished stories
❌ No clear sprint goal
❌ Ignoring retrospective actions

Warning Signs

Consistently missing sprint goals
High story carryover rate
Low team morale
Increasing technical debt
Stakeholder dissatisfaction
Velocity declining

Tools & Artifacts

Project Management

Tool: Jira/Linear/Trello
Boards: Sprint board, Backlog
Reports: Velocity, Burndown, Cumulative flow

Communication

Teams Channels:
- Dev Standup
- Sprint Planning
- Sprint Demos

Documentation

Sprint goal document
Retrospective notes
Demo recordings
Sprint metrics dashboard

Remote Sprint Considerations

Virtual Ceremonies

Use video for better engagement
Share screens for visual aids
Record important sessions
Use collaborative tools (Miro, Figma)

Async Updates

Daily written standups option
Record demos for different timezones
Document decisions clearly
Over-communicate status

Team Building

Virtual coffee breaks
Sprint celebration rituals
Team health checks
Regular 1-on-1s

Continuous Improvement

Sprint Process Evolution

Review process quarterly
Experiment with new techniques
Gather team feedback regularly
Adapt to team needs

Learning & Development

Share knowledge sessions
Technical spikes
Innovation time
Cross-training opportunities

Success Indicators

Healthy Sprint Signs

✅ Consistent velocity
✅ High story completion rate
✅ Active participation in ceremonies
✅ Quick blocker resolution
✅ Positive team morale

Team Satisfaction

Regular pulse surveys
Open feedback culture
Celebrated successes
Learning from failures
Work-life balance maintained